Dear Readers,
Hello March!
We thank you for supporting reading, which keeps us doing what we love most: sharing, discussing, and placing books into the hands of others.
In an interview between Maria Shriver and Mary Oliver, Shriver posed the question: “Is the goal to make people look at nature in a different way? Is it to touch their soul? Is it for them to feel delight? Oliver responds:
All of those things. I am not very hopeful about the Earth remaining as it was when I was a child. It’s already greatly changed. But I think when we lose the connection with the natural world, we tend to forget that we’re animals, that we need the Earth. And that can be devastating. Wendell Berry is a wonderful poet, and he talks about this coming devastation a great deal. I just happen to think you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. So I try to do more of the “Have you noticed this wonderful thing? Do you remember this?”
Oliver’s poem “Worm Moon” is a reminder of the wonders of March. It begins:
In March the earth remembers its own name.
Everywhere the plates of snow are cracking.
The rivers begin to sing.
In the sky the winter stars are sliding away; new stars appear as, later, small blades of grain will shine in the dark fields.
And the name of every place is joyful.
The long list for the Booker Prize was recently announced and we were happy to see Sub Rosa’s reading pick; Olga Ravn’s The Wax Child, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken—recognized. The novel revisits an ancient witch trial with unsettling relevance, and we’re proud to have it as part of our ongoing conversations.
Tom Bowden returns with edition #71 of his small press column of reviews “i arrogantly recommend…”
Of Special Note: “Leni Through the Lens” 6:30-9:00pm March 12: photographer Leni Sinclair’s opening at the Detroit Historical Society: “Leni Through the Lens” is a selection of key photographs featuring the vanguard sound of jazz, rock, rhythm & blues as Detroit’s cultural voice was coming into focus. The evening will be moderated by WDET’s award-winning host, Ann Delisi who will lead an engaging conversation with Leni, exploring her life, artistic vision, and enduring impact on Detroit’s musical and cultural landscape. Guests will also enjoy a live performance of an ensemble led by Kasan Belgrave, son of legendary trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. Tickets are $35 purchased online at the DHS.
The Book Beat translation reading group has selected Afterlives by 2021 Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah.Books are discounted 15% instore.
The Sub Rosa reading group has chosen Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys. Books are discounted 15% instore.
Coming in April:
• A book signing and disussion with Peter Wolf and Susan Whitall at the Detroit Public Library.
• The Ridgeway Collective’s exhibition at the Wayne State University Undergrad Library
• A signing with free-jazz historian Cisco Bradley. Stay tuned!
Thank you for keeping books, and indie bookstores on your radar. We hope to see you soon!
Warm regards,
Cary, Colleen and the Book Beat staff
Read, Think, Create.
NEW EVENTS
Saturday March 7 Beverly Jenkins and Elle Wright at the Detroit Public Library
We will be selling books in support of African-American romance writers Beverly Jenkins & Elle Wright who will be in conversation about their new books and they both approach their practice of writing.
BOOK BEAT HOURS, CONTACT AND ORDERING INFO
• Book Beat store hours are: Mon – Sat 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sun 12:00 – 5:00 PM.
• Subscribe to our newsletter here.
• Order Direct: for books or questions, call us at (248) 968-1190 or email us anytime at bookbeatorders@gmail.com.
• Book Beat Backroom is our store central with News Events and all things Book Beat.
• Order almost any book in print from our affiliate page at Bookshop.org.
• Shop our selection of rare and out-of-print books at biblio.com.
• Shop a selection of signed books, art, out-of-print rarities, and local authors at Book Beat Gallery.
• Audiobooks purchased at Libro.fm will help support Book Beat, thank you!
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” -George Orwell, 1984